Integrated Management of Insect Pests (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Oil Palm in Papua New Guinea

The principal pests of oil palm in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are a group of species from the Tettigoniidae family (Orthoptera), known as bush crickets, long-horned grasshoppers or treehoppers. This group of species is collectively called sexava. Three species of sexava are pests of oil palm in PNG: Segestes decoratus, Segestidea defoliaria and Segestidea novaeguinea. These insects cause damage by feeding on oil palm fronds and defoliation levels can be very severe where high populations occur. Severe defoliation causes reductions in photosynthesis resulting in yield loss from lower fruit production. During the last four years an integrated pest management (IPM) system has been developed for the control of sexava. This IPM system has the following components: 1) a knowledge of the biology and ecology of the pest, 2) economic thresholds, 3) monitoring system for the pest, 4) precise targeting of chemical control agents, 5) biological control and 6) cultural and physical control. The IPM system is sustainable and environmentally acceptable to the industry. Future research involving the development of strepsipteran parasites for biological control is likely to improve this IPM system still further. Keywords: Oil palm, IPM, insects, Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Papua New Guinea.